FBI director James Comey was fired on Tuesday by President Donald Trump, who said the firing was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the FBI.

Comey has come under intense scrutiny in recent months for his role in an investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s email practices, including a pair of letters he sent to Congress on the matter in the closing days of last year’s election.

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Here's a look at the life of James Comey, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Personal: Birth date: December 14, 1960

Birth place: Yonkers, New York

Birth name: James Brien Comey Jr.

Father: James Brien Comey, real estate professional

Mother: Joan (Herald) Comey

Marriages: Patrice (Failor) Comey (1987-present)

Children: Collin (deceased), Abby, Claire, Brien, Kate and Maurene

Education: College of William & Mary, B.S. with honors, 1982; University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1985

Other Facts: In 1977, Comey and his younger brother were held at gunpoint in their parents' home by a man suspected of a series of rapes in the area.

Comey has worked on or overseen a number of high-profile cases as a US attorney and FBI director, including the prosecution of Martha Stewart in the ImClone stock trading case, the investigations into the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia and of CIA Director David Petraeus for passing confidential information to his lover.

As a US Attorney, Comey created a unit devoted to prosecuting international drug cartels.

In college, he majored in chemistry and religion, and wrote a thesis comparing the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to the televangelist Jerry Falwell.